The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 15, 2017
Filed:
Apr. 29, 2014
Allegro Microsystems, Llc, Worcester, MA (US);
James McIntosh, East Lothian, GB;
Robert D. Christie, Fife, GB;
Douglas Bryce, Edinburgh, GB;
Walter Morrison Stewart Wilson, East Lothian, GB;
Allegro Microsystems, LLC, Worcester, MA (US);
Abstract
Systems and techniques detecting a reverse current are disclosed. An apparatus comprises a switching circuit coupled to a load and a reference node. The switching circuit may be capable of conducting a reverse current from the reference node to the load when a voltage at the load is lower than a voltage at the reference node. A voltage source has a first terminal coupled to the load, a second terminal configured to follow a voltage at the load, and produces a voltage proportional to a voltage drop across the switching circuit. A comparator circuit is coupled to compare a voltage at the second terminal of the voltage source to the voltage at the reference node and configured to indicate when the reverse current has a magnitude greater than a predetermined threshold.